http://www.jenchen.org.sg/vol7no3a.htm
Volume 7 no 3
Feature
THE EARTH PEOPLE - Part
3
From Celestial Beings to Human Beings
The Ekottaragama Sutra and other Buddhist scriptures have stated
that the human race originated from the Light-sound heaven. How do
they become the human race of today? What will happen to this earth
eventually? Venerable Shen-Kai answers these questions and more, in
this concluding serial of The Earth People. In addition we learn
that the earth, as with all phenomena in the universe, is subject
to the four stages of formation, existence, destruction and
emptiness. There is no beginning and no end, and the best way for
us to live is to emulate the spirit and virtuous deeds of the
Bodhisattvas.
In the early days, small groups of people lived in scattered
places; each group used its own language for communication. The
physical separation between the groups and the lack of efficient
means of transportation resulted in the creation of hundreds and
thousands of different languages. These people were the ancestors
of the many different races in the world today.
The early inhabitants, after losing their celestial clothing,
moved around naked. While they played, their emotions on love and
relationship arose resulting in sexual desires. They began to feel
shy and shameful. At that time, grass and other plants were grown
on earth and they used leaves as clothes, partly to cover their
naked bodies and partly to protect themselves from the cold.
From the perspective of the other worlds, the earths light had
turned green, separating the seas and the land. The devas from
other celestial worlds dared not come anymore. The human beings on
earth began to live as husbands and wives. They raised children.
They lived in caves and later, they learned to build dwelling
houses. With improved conditions, the population grew. The
six-sensory organs of the human being (eyes, ears, nose, tongue,
body and mind) began to differentiate and this resulted in
affliction and vexation. The innate bright and innocent celestial
nature disappeared, and in their places arose greed, anger,
ignorance
.thereby formed the basis of Asura sentient beings. The
Devas, Human and Asura are beings of the three good realms. With
the arising of the evil deeds of killing, stealing, sexual
misconduct
resulting in the sentient beings in the three evil
realms of animal, ghost and hell. Together, these formed the
transmigration process in the six realms of existence. With this,
all sentient beings have four modes of birth, namely,
i. Womb-born beings
(jalabuja);
ii. Egg-born beings (andaja);
iii. Moisture-born beings (samsedaja);
iv. Gaseous form-born beings (opapatika).
and thousands and millions of different life forms.
These constitute the corresponding living spheres of the seas,
land, sky and motion.
The thinking of humanity and their lives changed from simple to
complex states. Some portions of the human race turned from the
barbaric stage to a civilised world. Some portions of primitive man
that fed on raw flesh and blood of birds and beasts gradually
changed to civilisation. The introduction of farming and trading is
the beginning of agriculture and commerce sectors. Some lived on
making of farming tools, cooking utensils and production of
building materials, this was the beginning of industry. In order to
administer peace and justice arising from arguments and fights
caused by greed, anger, ignorance, killing, stealing and sexual
misconduct, virtuous and upright people were elected to maintain
law and order, and to manage the affairs of people in the society.
From these came education, social ethic and democratic government.
The advent of languages created written texts which led to the
flourishing of modern civilisation. The barbaric era ended.
Communities moved from small tribal groups into big societies, from
societies to countries, and from the competitive nature between
countries, and they further evolved through scientific progress
into the atomic age and the cosmic age.
When the human inhabitants first arrived on earth, the average life
span at that time was longer than 84,000 years. As the people
distanced themselves from good deeds and committed various evil
deeds, the life span shortened. For every 100 years, the average
life span is reduced by 1 year. The human life span continued to
shorten and when the life span dropped down to an average of 10
years, disasters and calamities struck. For those who were
cultivating good deeds and had been staying away as hermits, they
survived. For those who had survived the disasters and calamities,
they realised their past mistakes and repented. Each began to
cultivate good deeds and promoted to the society to carry out good
deeds. With the effect of the communal good karma, the human life
span began to lengthen again. And when the age has reached 84,000
years, the same decreasing process would repeat due to the arising
of evil or unwholesome deeds. One cycle of such an
increasing-decreasing life span is called a small Kalpa[1].
Twenty small kalpas make up a medium kalpa. With this, the Stage
of Formation is completed.
Next come the Stage of Existence. In this stage, the
increasing-decreasing life span of human beings also underwent
twenty small kalpas before it reaches the Stage of
Destruction.
At the beginning of the Stage of Destruction, everything had
developed to the extremes. All the natural resources had been
completely exhausted and the earth severely damaged. The
destruction process also went through a period of twenty small
kalpas. In the final days, the seas dried up. Strong winds, big
fires and heavy floods prevail. The Three Disasters (The three
major disasters for world destruction fire, water and wind) and
Eight Difficulties (The eight conditions in which it is difficult
to encounter a Buddha or hear his Dharma: in the hells; as hungry
ghosts; as animals; in Uttarakuru (the northern continent where all
is pleasant); in the long-life heaven (where life is long and
easy); as deaf, blind and dumb; as worldly philosopher; in the
intermediate period between a Buddha and his successor.) all come
upon the earth. This is truly the End of the World.
When the earth is damaged, it enters into the Stage of Emptiness.
This emptiness stage also lasts for a long period of twenty small
kalpas. At the end of this period, big golden yellow clouds would
appear and heavy rain would pour down from the Light-sound heaven
to put out the fires. A new world is thereby created.
According to the above described process, the world has to go
through the four stages of Formation, Existence, Destruction and
Emptiness which are the four medium kalpas. One Great Kalpa
needs to go through four medium kalpas totaling eighty small
kalpas.
In the Buddhist scriptures, the term Three Great Kalpas refers to
the Great Kalpas of the three periods of past, present and
future.
In the previous world before our present earth world, the era was
called Kalpa of Adornment. During twenty small kalpas in the
Stage of Existence of the Adornment Kalpa, there were one thousand
Buddhas in existence to maintain the virtuous adornment of their
world, hence its unique naming. Today, the current era is called
the Kalpa of Virtue. In the twenty small kalpas of the Stage of
Existence of this era, one thousand Buddhas will also be born. The
present Sakyamuni Buddha is the fourth Buddha. When it comes to the
fifth Buddha, his name will be Maitreya Buddha. Today, he is
commonly referred to as Maitreya Buddha the Buddha to be. He is
presently not a Buddha and hence the name.
The next aeon is called the Kalpa of Stars. In this Kalpa of
Stars, within the twenty small kalpas of the Stage of Existence,
there will also be one thousand Buddhas.
When the earth of the Kalpa of Stars era is destroyed, a new
earth will be formed again. If the people of our present world wish
to lead a long and blissful life, it is really possible to fulfil
this wish. All that is needed is for the people to carry out good
deeds, to cultivate and emulate the aspiration of the Bodhisattvas,
to contribute to the beneficial deeds of Bodhisattvas,
and within
the birth-death transmigration in the six realms of existence to
continually maintain the human form lifetime after lifetime. When
finally the End of the World comes, their nature-soul will be
saved and they will be born in the Heaven of Light-sound where they
will enjoy heavenly bliss.
The world may become damaged, but our nature-soul is non-ceasing.
When a new earth is formed, those beings will come down from the
Heaven of Light-sound, and due to the effect of the communal
virtuous karma, together a new world is created that will be a
brighter, more stable, peaceful and blissful Buddha World.
It is hoped that everyone will emulate the spirit and virtuous
deeds of the Bodhisattvas lifetime after lifetime, and never to
regress from the Bodhi path and enlightenment, but to continuously
cultivate through the aeon of Three Great Kalpas. While there are
a thousand Buddhas born in each Great Kalpa, if you could meet the
Buddha in your lifetime and be guided and blessed; then it is
definitely possible to become a Buddha in the next Great Kalpa
after the Kalpa of Stars era. Therefore, Jen Chen Buddhism
advocates the development of a blissful world on this earth. Such
virtuous deeds shall bring about boundless blessings and longevity,
and in the coming kalpa eras, everyone will become a
Buddha.
Note:
[1] Kalpa:
1 small kalpa = 16.8 million years
20 small kalpas = 1 medium kalpa = 336 million years
80 small kalpas = 4 medium kalpas = 1 great kalpa = 1.344 billion
years
© Copyright 2002.Jen Chen Buddhism Centre
